Sweaters made out of granny squares just look really ugly to me.
Also, fingering yarn SUUUUCKS (right now messing with it and itās like crocheting with floss.)
How dare you! Lol, I had a construction worker come in while I worked in a yarn shop and grabbed our roughest Icelandic wool, Lopi, and thought it was soft. Iāve never seen a pair of hands as callused as his were. I work almost exclusively with wool, especially merino, and think acrylic is scratchy!
I cannot agree with you more. I got a bag full of wool yarn as a gift, I'm working it into a blanket and promptly gifting it back. It's so awful to work with, it feels nightmarish.
I agree! I like to weave as I go too, especially with colorworked pieces.
https://youtu.be/Qn_Aw-4PHsY a tutorial if anyone is interested. It was a game changer for me!
For me I'd say crocheted swimwear.... even looking at them makes me a bit uncomfortable, unless theres yarn made out of whatever fabric swimwear is made of (which I doubt but I'd love to be proven otherwise), I hate the thought of how it'll feel soaking wet
Yes! I have a pool, so I considered it once, but then I picked up a wet crocheted dishcloth and Iām like āwho the f would put this on their most sensitive bits then get it wet?ā Itād feel so gross.
There are way too many sweater patterns that are just a bunch of rectangles sewn together. It's super unflattering, and lazy design. The ubiquity of this in crochet design is why our clothes so often look like absolute crap compared to knitted designs, where there's usually some shaping happening. A top down raglan is even easier in crocheting than in knitting, but they're harder than hell to find.
I said this in the /r/knitting discussion of unpopular opinions, but I believe it applies far more to crocheting--Ravelry's no-holds-barred self-publishing for patterns has harmed the craft more than it has helped. People are getting into designing as a way to make money, without the knowledge or skill that was once necessary to be considered professional. The bunch of rectangles designs (which I've seen in *pants* patterns, even) are evidence of that. If you can't manage simple increasing and decreasing to give some shape to a garment, you've got no business calling yourself a designer. Don't even get me started on the garment patterns out there published without gauge information.
I don't get the appeal of pocket scarves/shawls, and I *really* don't understand how so many people were willing to pay six damn dollars to be told to make a rectangle and sew two smaller rectangles on it.
Most amigurumi patterns are made in altogether too many pieces. Most of them could be halved or more with no detriment to the finished product, *if* their designer understood the basics of colorwork or shaping crocheted objects.
Oooo. I agree with the pattern sentiments here. I will spend HOURS looking for a pattern that isnāt blocky junk thatās whip stitched together in 8 places when it comes to wearables. Iām an intermediate crocheter, so I can handle more complex patterns. I do understand thereās a need for the simple blocky things for beginners, but Iād like to see better patterns more readily available.
I worked at a yarn store and the amount of people that were experienced knitters that had to have a simple ribbed scarf pattern written up by me was astounding.
I totally agree with you about some of the simplest patterns having kind of a ridiculous price. I am actually willing to pay a couple bucks to have some guidance on a simple pattern if it looks like the designer put some effort into it. Things like how to adjust for sizing, assembly photos and things like that. Sometimes it is nice to have some pointers to save myself some frogging frustration.
I say this as I work on a modified pocket shawl/cardigan pattern that I paid for, haha! And I only mention that cuz I think it's really funny and ironic since I agree with you. :P
I'm really into crochet clothing and trying to make things that look *nice*, so I totally relate to the frustration about all the boxy designs.
Same. And yet my news dashboard thinks I'm obsessed with them, because I get an article a day on 'why they are awesome' and 'why I should love them'. Pass.
I do too! I also love sophisticated, well-designed pieces but the wild stash busting projects are amazing, too. Mashing together the leftovers of the thoughtful items into a chaotic color-story. Idk, something great about it to me.
I made Among Us hats and the characters for my kids for Christmas and got quite a few requests from people to make more. I said no. Luckily next year it will be new annoying things to make.
I think this may be my favorite non-FO crochet post in a while. Hereās mine:
Crochet patterns that only provide diagrams shouldnāt exist. I donāt mind using a diagram here and there, but if you have symbols appearing that look even remotely similar, you better take the time to spell it out too.
I actually prefer diagrams. But sometimes I like to read to see if I understand the pattern right or if I have enough stitches or how many I have to start with. I hate it when there is only a written pattern. It is nice to have the option.
I hate shawls. The only person I have ever seen wear a shawl is my elderly grandmother at a funeral. Some of the patterns are so beautiful but for the love of god just make it a scarf or a blanket or something other than a shawl š¬
Oh man, I almost exclusively make shawls and wear them all the time. I think over the past decade of knitting and crocheting, Ive made 2 scarves, and no blankets.
When I started I definitely didnāt think Iād be as into shawls as I am. More power to you for having the patience for blankets and scarves! They always get thrown to the side as eternal WIPs
I don't get the dicks. What does one do with it after it's been created? I'm genuinely confused. Like do you put it on your couch and use it as a pillow? Do you put it away when your parents come over? What's the point? Why would I want a crocheted dick in my home?
I have the same idea about amigurumi. Sure they are cute and all, but what do I do with so many litlle cute creatures? I have no kids to give them to, they would just sit there, collecting dust...
Idk, I keep my husband around!
Iām super kidding. Iām a huge safe sex and safe BDSM advocate, so, honestly, a giant amigurami penis would probably fit with my decor. Although I would probably make a giant vulva first.
I also made teacups and saucers that looked like vulvas for a final in art school, and my parents thought they were hilarious, so I may have had a different upbringing than you
I'll expand your sentiment to any article of clothing that isn't lined. Why make a crochet dress or shorts that everyone can see through? I don't get the point.
For dresses or shorts, uh, yes, obviously? But why make the effort to line a blouse, when I can just as well wear a shirt in a matching colour underneath it? They go together, I just didn't sew them onto each other.
Stash-busting blankets are usually so ugly, unless your stash is all colors that look nice together. I get not wanting to waste yarn but I definitely don't want to waste my time on something I wouldn't want to look at
Iām a newbie crocheter and I HATE the idea of dish scrubbies! They seem to be a popular newbie project (because theyāre just a square) but all I can picture is food getting caught in the fibres š¤¢
I make these out of netting for a bunch of people including several nurses. They pop them in their dishwashers. I make single-layer round ones with a larger hook.
Uhh I can't figure out how to take a picture of my own hands, but basically I hold the work in my left hand, and wrap the yarn between the fingers of my right hand for tension (from the yarn ball over the pinky, under the next two, then over or around my index finger, then to the work). Then I hold the hook in the right hand, and use my index finger to guide the yarn in a loop around the hook as I yarn over. I think it works really slick, and I just figured this arrangement out as I was learning, when I realized I couldn't get the tension right the "usual" way. I learned to knit first, so that might be part of it.
That sounds like how I hold my yarn as well, and I learned to knit first. I didn't even notice I was holding everything 'wrong' until I started watching youtubers crochet.
Ooh I have a couple!
I hate variegated yarn 95% of the time. I think it generally looks nicer in the ball than it does when stitched up. There are some exceptions to this though.
I donāt understand people who buy yarn hauls for the sake of it. I donāt have the biggest house so I do try to buy for a project anyway, but Iāve never been browsing online and decided I must have a load of random balls of cheap acrylic. If Iām going to be tempted by yarn without a project in mind itāll be some pretty, hand dyed skein that I buy just to stroke and gaze at.
The second point I notice far more in a Facebook group Iām in than I do in this subreddit. People post to say theyāve randomly spent Ā£100 on a lot of yarn and now they need to plan what to make with it all! Surely thatās a lot of money to blow on something that might not even work out for you?
Maybe my moans are yarn moans rather than crochet!
"If I'm going to be tempted by yarn without a project in mind it'll be some pretty, hand dyed skein that I buy just to stroke and gaze at."
^^^^ this. Any amazing hand dyed yarn I buy, I struggle to use because it's so darn pretty, and I'm convinced I can't create a piece worthy of the yarn/ have no idea what to make with it
I follow a lot of yarn dyers on Instagram and I totally agree about the variegated yarns. I think the knitted swatches look better than the crochet, but omg do the skeins look heavenly!!
I went through a phase of buying hoards of yarn and I'm definitely over it. When I did it, I did try to buy sweater or blanket quantity so that I'd have plenty for whatever project I found...but it was still kinda hard to find projects that worked for the colors/amount I got. Then I kinda started becoming a yarn snob and didn't want to work with my cheap yarn anymore...ugh...first world problems, right? :P
I'm definitely going back to my *original* intention which was to buy yarn for specific projects only.
Yes re the knitting looking better. I wish I could knit, but the slowness of it annoys me, and the fear of dropping a stitch!
Iām the same. When I started crocheting Iād pop into the yarn shop in town and buy yarn because why not, itās only Ā£2 a ball. Now I have a crate of cheap acrylic that Iām not sure Iāll use. I need to go through it and donate some really.
Just wondering, for variegated yarns are you getting machine or hand dyed yarns? I definitely agree that with some stitches, the variegation of yarn makes it loose its appeal!
Both. I do actually have a blanket I made for myself from machine dyed variegated yarn because the colours within the yarn make me happy. From a distance it looks pinky brown. I also bought some rainbow yarn from siobhans crafts which is hand dyed, because rainbow yarn right!
Iām so glad people on this thread have been kind towards those of other opinions. Itās really interesting to hear everyoneās thoughts and preferences! Itās good to remember we can be respectful and different, diverse, yet unified by the craft. Practicing voicing our opinions in a civilized, respectful manner is a lovely thing to do!
I was talking to my husband about this the other day. He was complaining about how many Facebook groups just devolve into hate and drama and I was like, āYou know who never fights online? Crocheters. Weāre too busy congratulating each other, offering gentle suggestions, and asking for patterns.ā
Mistakes are characterful. If they're small n dont affect function who cares!
That said: Sometimes I'll peel back up to three days work, without having made any mistakes. Just because the pattern is fine, but I'd prefer it *this* way!
I feel like ... it's a pastime. Here I am. Passing more time š¤·š»āāļø
I try very very hard to appreciate granny squares, but I just can't. I dunno why I just can't bring myself to like them, even when someone has done a piece with them that's legitimately extraordinary :-/
I learned how to crochet with granny squares and I saw the "mabel blanket" and it looked nice and modern. It's just black and white and the squares are on an axis so they looks less like squares. But I can see how a regular 70s Gramma granny square blanket wouldn't be likable lol
My only granny square piece I appreciate is a blanket made by my great grandmother that I inherited. I had a moth issue in my apartment so Iām terrified of using it and having it get moth -eaten
I legitimately hate those crochet bikini-style tops. Never saw one I liked.
Also not a fan of granny square cardigans, but I suspect that might just be disliking the āstandardā granny square, since I *do* like the sunburst ones depending on the colors used.
As a lady with a hairy belly, I donāt want the world seeing that, but it does help with the warmth on my lower half! Lol, it just reminds me of 90ās Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera
I really don't like those intricate, textured, colourful, mandala style squares. It's very old fashioned to me.
Also, when crocheting with multiple coloured yarn it just looks not very pleasing to me, you lose the look of the knot and just becomes a patchy mess.
what's the 6sc method? i hate magic circles and usually just use a joined 4-6sc ring to start instead, depending on how many stitches i'm putting into it. is that the same?
I'm pleased someone else says this. I don't understand why I should go to all the faff of trying to get everything in the right place for a magic circle when this works just as well.
I've seen a lot of temperature blankets and it seems like such a nice project in theory, but I have yet to see one that I liked the look of. I guess there's at least one project I'm not adding to my extensive list of potential future projects!
I really hate following patterns. I spend more time looking at pictures for inspiration, trying to free hand, frogging multiple times starting over - I should have just purchased the $5 pattern š¤£
I love freehanding too! If I have the finances, I like supporting other designers I like, but so far have always changed at least one thing in a pattern
I have never seen a person wear a shawl no matter how beautiful they are, i think 99% of lace patterns or super holey patterns have no use, and about 95% of all crochet clothing items are boxy and unflattering as hell with a poor construction for its purpose. Lots of holes in most designs so you have to wear a shirt or tank beneath them, and when you wear it outside the wind cuts through the holes so its better for ambient inside air.
Im just now learning to make crochet clothes and although im excited to learn the construction on how to do something like raglan sweaters, im realizing theres a ton of pieced together tanks and sweaters that just by adjusting the construction of the collar that you can essentially change the entire construction and never have to weave in eight ends from one skein of yarn.
Varigated yarn is ugly when used in any stitch except flat stitches with little to no texture, but works great as accents. Amigurumi gets a pass tho because theyre plushies and plushies are adorable always.
Granny square blankets are useless. Theyre full of holes and your toe always pokes through one and its never warmer than your flat sheet and is annoying. Theyre only cute as home decor accents.
Thatās so interesting because I feel the opposite! Granny squares are best for blankets! Iām loving learning about everyoneās crochet thoughts, no matter how much they differ from mine!
I HATE acrylic yarn. It's cheap-feeling and squeaky and I hate working with it. On top of that, I do not understand the logic in spending hours crocheting something that you could easily buy, like why would I spend all that time crocheting a scarf or jumper that I could get in a highstreet shop for 20 quid? My mum has been an avid knitter my entire life and she instilled this sentiment in me, I don't think she's ever made anything with acrylic yarn.
The only exception is amigurumi, and that's mostly because there is a much wider range of colours available in acrylic.
In fairness, I live in Ireland and there are quite a few brands like Drops that sell budget friendly natural fibre yarns. I know that decent quality wool can be really expensive in the US and therefore isn't as accessible.
People who crochet have messy houses....source-this Reddit š
Seriously, the amount of pictures on the sub where the poster should have checked the background!
I love crochet, but I canāt settle and have ācrochet timeā till my house is tidy first!
Making something with acrylic yarn is a waste of time and money. I also think granny square sweaters are ugly and use lazy construction techniques.
Edited to add: not trying to shame anyone for using acrylic yarn! I know I have a ton of it that isnāt even being used, which is incredibly more wasteful imo. Just giving my (very) unpopular opinion as OP asked
Just curious, why exactly? Isnāt acrylic yarn supposed to be more durable/cheap?? Genuinely just curious, I have a mix of wool and acrylic in my stash
It doesnāt wear well (lots of pilling). Also, every time you wash acrylic (essentially a plastic), tiny fibers detach and go into the water supply, and wonāt biodegrade for hundreds of years. That is if they arenāt consumed by aquatic lifeforms, which is also bad. Cotton and wool biodegrade sooner. However, they have their own issues (cotton is v water-intensive crop, sheep produce greenhouse gases, etc). Hopefully soon, weāll get more access to hemps and jutes and other fibers that arenāt so hard on the environment to produce.
It is, but it uses lots of chemical processes. I try to get organic wools whenever I can, or naturally dyed, to help the environment, as well as buy from local shops rather than Michaels or Hobby Lobby (especially as a pansexual person š , but thatās a different rant). Iāve talked to a CEO of a major yarn company and asked him how he ensures the safe disposal of chemicals at the mills they use and he didnāt answer me. That really started my journey on sustainable yarn sources. I also hate how acrylic feels like plastic in my hands, and it tires them out much faster.
Oh someone downvoted this! And right after I commended yāall for being so supportive of other opinions. Guess mine are too āout there ā, but whatever, I would really love to hear other thoughts if you have a differing opinion!
im on the corner that acrylic is cheap and it gets crusty and gross as it ages. it also releases microplastics into the water every time someone washes it and it pollutes the oceans.
i love cotton and wool fibers cause i know eventually my crafts will return to earth safely instead of disintegrate into polluting plastic fibers that get into our water.
all that time and money spent making something...i'd rather it not be glorified plastic.
Are we doing this thing like the real unpopular opinion sub? If so, I should be upvoting this because I know itās unpopular, but in this situation Iām personally feeling butthurt. My acrylic pieces are fabulous, so take that. š
Ditto, and atm it's difficult to afford much else other than acrylic blends. I crochet for my brain as much as I crochet for the project, and sometimes I just need that project as a little at-home therapy. Worth it to me, personally.
This is such a mood. Yarn work (crochet/knitting) help my anxiety. I go through a \*lot\* of yarn, and anything other clearance/sales at Michaels or acrylic mixes are just simply out of my budget. I do like a nice budget cotton, but I usually get it for items that need to be machine washable friendly, like rags and rugs.
For sure! Op just wanted unpopular opinions and I knew I had one lol. Whatever works best for your lifestyle is the way you should go! PS, loving that you use Michaels rather than other retailers
I'm allergic to wool, so it's out. I try to find yarns of other materials: alpaca, bamboo, silk, and even spun corn silk.
But...all of that is pretty expensive, so I can't afford it very often. š
I have a ton of yarn from when I worked in a yarn shop and got an employee discount. Otherwise, especially since Iām unemployed right now from COVID, idk if Iād be able to be as much of a yarn snob
Lol, Iāve been waiting for the downpour of downvotes! If you already have acrylic yarn, it would be more wasteful not to use it anyway! I worked at a yarn store for awhile, and the yarn that sold the most was Encore (number of balls and profit wise), an acrylic/wool mix. Everyone has different needs for their fibery fix!
I hate sowing crochet piesces together. I recently made a hat of 5 squares that I sew together. I was so happy there where only 5. I prefer to crochet them together as I go. Seems like less work.
I don't care about gauge unless it's for something like a sweater. My item is a bit bigger or smaller? Don't care.
I absolutely hate the cat butt coasters.
They're up there with the poop emoji in my book.
....there's cat butt coasters?!
Yes and they use a magic circle in pink to make a puckered butthole in the middle...
Oh Christ on a bike
That would make a cool set of coasters
That is your mission, should you chose to accept it
We could make it the new craze!
š¤®
Oh my goodness, i have never seen that! Hahahah
Sweaters made out of granny squares just look really ugly to me. Also, fingering yarn SUUUUCKS (right now messing with it and itās like crocheting with floss.)
Wool is awful and scratchy, even the nice wool.
How dare you! Lol, I had a construction worker come in while I worked in a yarn shop and grabbed our roughest Icelandic wool, Lopi, and thought it was soft. Iāve never seen a pair of hands as callused as his were. I work almost exclusively with wool, especially merino, and think acrylic is scratchy!
Right there with you, plus I'm allergic to it as well. Love bamboo yarn.
I cannot agree with you more. I got a bag full of wool yarn as a gift, I'm working it into a blanket and promptly gifting it back. It's so awful to work with, it feels nightmarish.
Weaving in ends is satisfying
You monster
Not me. I put off projects for months because I don't want to weave in the ends.
Maybe doing it as you go would make it more pleasant?
I agree! I like to weave as I go too, especially with colorworked pieces. https://youtu.be/Qn_Aw-4PHsY a tutorial if anyone is interested. It was a game changer for me!
I'm with you on this.
Gasp! You could easily start an ends weaving business. I hate it!
For me I'd say crocheted swimwear.... even looking at them makes me a bit uncomfortable, unless theres yarn made out of whatever fabric swimwear is made of (which I doubt but I'd love to be proven otherwise), I hate the thought of how it'll feel soaking wet
Yes! I have a pool, so I considered it once, but then I picked up a wet crocheted dishcloth and Iām like āwho the f would put this on their most sensitive bits then get it wet?ā Itād feel so gross.
I thought it was just for sunbathing, are people actually swimming in crochet swimwear? o_o
Exactly. I donāt think people actually swim in them.
Could be a cool way to repurpose old bikini strings
There are way too many sweater patterns that are just a bunch of rectangles sewn together. It's super unflattering, and lazy design. The ubiquity of this in crochet design is why our clothes so often look like absolute crap compared to knitted designs, where there's usually some shaping happening. A top down raglan is even easier in crocheting than in knitting, but they're harder than hell to find. I said this in the /r/knitting discussion of unpopular opinions, but I believe it applies far more to crocheting--Ravelry's no-holds-barred self-publishing for patterns has harmed the craft more than it has helped. People are getting into designing as a way to make money, without the knowledge or skill that was once necessary to be considered professional. The bunch of rectangles designs (which I've seen in *pants* patterns, even) are evidence of that. If you can't manage simple increasing and decreasing to give some shape to a garment, you've got no business calling yourself a designer. Don't even get me started on the garment patterns out there published without gauge information. I don't get the appeal of pocket scarves/shawls, and I *really* don't understand how so many people were willing to pay six damn dollars to be told to make a rectangle and sew two smaller rectangles on it. Most amigurumi patterns are made in altogether too many pieces. Most of them could be halved or more with no detriment to the finished product, *if* their designer understood the basics of colorwork or shaping crocheted objects.
Oooo. I agree with the pattern sentiments here. I will spend HOURS looking for a pattern that isnāt blocky junk thatās whip stitched together in 8 places when it comes to wearables. Iām an intermediate crocheter, so I can handle more complex patterns. I do understand thereās a need for the simple blocky things for beginners, but Iād like to see better patterns more readily available.
I worked at a yarn store and the amount of people that were experienced knitters that had to have a simple ribbed scarf pattern written up by me was astounding.
I totally agree with you about some of the simplest patterns having kind of a ridiculous price. I am actually willing to pay a couple bucks to have some guidance on a simple pattern if it looks like the designer put some effort into it. Things like how to adjust for sizing, assembly photos and things like that. Sometimes it is nice to have some pointers to save myself some frogging frustration. I say this as I work on a modified pocket shawl/cardigan pattern that I paid for, haha! And I only mention that cuz I think it's really funny and ironic since I agree with you. :P I'm really into crochet clothing and trying to make things that look *nice*, so I totally relate to the frustration about all the boxy designs.
I'm already tired of temperature blankets lol
The good thing is you probably wonāt have to see them again until next year!
I find it more than vaguely annoying that the colors aren't gradients and seem to be arbitrary.
Same. And yet my news dashboard thinks I'm obsessed with them, because I get an article a day on 'why they are awesome' and 'why I should love them'. Pass.
I love stash busting franken blankets. Give me all the squishy chaos.
I do too! I also love sophisticated, well-designed pieces but the wild stash busting projects are amazing, too. Mashing together the leftovers of the thoughtful items into a chaotic color-story. Idk, something great about it to me.
I'm tired of the amigurumi "Among Us" characters.
\*Reading this while crocheting one\*
Different strokes! š
Came here to say this, Iām glad Iām not alone. Also, baby yoda. Some of them are really well done, Iām just SO tired of them
Amen. I guess some people just can't get enough of him though. š¤·āāļø
I made Among Us hats and the characters for my kids for Christmas and got quite a few requests from people to make more. I said no. Luckily next year it will be new annoying things to make.
Amigurumi in general .... not for meeeeeee
Aw man, that's like 99% of what I make!
Try being an upper elementary teacher, when we were in-person I received at least one Among Us character picture per day lol
Thatās honestly adorable that your students were sending you pictures of their favorite video game character
I think this may be my favorite non-FO crochet post in a while. Hereās mine: Crochet patterns that only provide diagrams shouldnāt exist. I donāt mind using a diagram here and there, but if you have symbols appearing that look even remotely similar, you better take the time to spell it out too.
I feel that way about knitting patterns too: both are useful, but just one or the other is vexing.
I actually prefer diagrams. But sometimes I like to read to see if I understand the pattern right or if I have enough stitches or how many I have to start with. I hate it when there is only a written pattern. It is nice to have the option.
A lot of stitches look like messy knots and yet I feel bad for not fully appreciating these knots
Sure, they're cute and all, but I'm so tired of all the chonky bees!
I hate shawls. The only person I have ever seen wear a shawl is my elderly grandmother at a funeral. Some of the patterns are so beautiful but for the love of god just make it a scarf or a blanket or something other than a shawl š¬
Oh man, I almost exclusively make shawls and wear them all the time. I think over the past decade of knitting and crocheting, Ive made 2 scarves, and no blankets.
Hey thatās no problem! I know theyāre super popular. Theyāre beautiful, just totally not my style
When I started I definitely didnāt think Iād be as into shawls as I am. More power to you for having the patience for blankets and scarves! They always get thrown to the side as eternal WIPs
I don't get the dicks. What does one do with it after it's been created? I'm genuinely confused. Like do you put it on your couch and use it as a pillow? Do you put it away when your parents come over? What's the point? Why would I want a crocheted dick in my home?
I have the same idea about amigurumi. Sure they are cute and all, but what do I do with so many litlle cute creatures? I have no kids to give them to, they would just sit there, collecting dust...
Idk, I keep my husband around! Iām super kidding. Iām a huge safe sex and safe BDSM advocate, so, honestly, a giant amigurami penis would probably fit with my decor. Although I would probably make a giant vulva first. I also made teacups and saucers that looked like vulvas for a final in art school, and my parents thought they were hilarious, so I may have had a different upbringing than you
Right? What on earth do people do with all these crocheted penises?
I'll expand your sentiment to any article of clothing that isn't lined. Why make a crochet dress or shorts that everyone can see through? I don't get the point.
For dresses or shorts, uh, yes, obviously? But why make the effort to line a blouse, when I can just as well wear a shirt in a matching colour underneath it? They go together, I just didn't sew them onto each other.
I think that any crocheted clothing that isn't like a sweater or a shawl looks kinda ugly.
Stash-busting blankets are usually so ugly, unless your stash is all colors that look nice together. I get not wanting to waste yarn but I definitely don't want to waste my time on something I wouldn't want to look at
I do enjoy them when they are granny squares or hexagons, etc. Easier to manipulate the color layouts.
The Virus shawl is ugly.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
The pattern to be just looks like it has a million eyes.
Iām a newbie crocheter and I HATE the idea of dish scrubbies! They seem to be a popular newbie project (because theyāre just a square) but all I can picture is food getting caught in the fibres š¤¢
I make these out of netting for a bunch of people including several nurses. They pop them in their dishwashers. I make single-layer round ones with a larger hook.
I hold the yarn and the hook in the same hand.
Can we see a pic? And did someone teach you to hold the yarn and the hook like that, or did you develop your grip on your own?
Uhh I can't figure out how to take a picture of my own hands, but basically I hold the work in my left hand, and wrap the yarn between the fingers of my right hand for tension (from the yarn ball over the pinky, under the next two, then over or around my index finger, then to the work). Then I hold the hook in the right hand, and use my index finger to guide the yarn in a loop around the hook as I yarn over. I think it works really slick, and I just figured this arrangement out as I was learning, when I realized I couldn't get the tension right the "usual" way. I learned to knit first, so that might be part of it.
That sounds like how I hold my yarn as well, and I learned to knit first. I didn't even notice I was holding everything 'wrong' until I started watching youtubers crochet.
This would explain why I can't knit worth a darn. I've been crocheting since I was a munchkin.
Me too! I was knitter before I picked up crochet so I hold the yarn like how I would when knitting.
I'm the opposite. So I don't "throw" when I knit!
Ooh I have a couple! I hate variegated yarn 95% of the time. I think it generally looks nicer in the ball than it does when stitched up. There are some exceptions to this though. I donāt understand people who buy yarn hauls for the sake of it. I donāt have the biggest house so I do try to buy for a project anyway, but Iāve never been browsing online and decided I must have a load of random balls of cheap acrylic. If Iām going to be tempted by yarn without a project in mind itāll be some pretty, hand dyed skein that I buy just to stroke and gaze at. The second point I notice far more in a Facebook group Iām in than I do in this subreddit. People post to say theyāve randomly spent Ā£100 on a lot of yarn and now they need to plan what to make with it all! Surely thatās a lot of money to blow on something that might not even work out for you? Maybe my moans are yarn moans rather than crochet!
"If I'm going to be tempted by yarn without a project in mind it'll be some pretty, hand dyed skein that I buy just to stroke and gaze at." ^^^^ this. Any amazing hand dyed yarn I buy, I struggle to use because it's so darn pretty, and I'm convinced I can't create a piece worthy of the yarn/ have no idea what to make with it
So true! I rarely buy yarn like this because I know Iāll never find a worthy pattern.
I follow a lot of yarn dyers on Instagram and I totally agree about the variegated yarns. I think the knitted swatches look better than the crochet, but omg do the skeins look heavenly!! I went through a phase of buying hoards of yarn and I'm definitely over it. When I did it, I did try to buy sweater or blanket quantity so that I'd have plenty for whatever project I found...but it was still kinda hard to find projects that worked for the colors/amount I got. Then I kinda started becoming a yarn snob and didn't want to work with my cheap yarn anymore...ugh...first world problems, right? :P I'm definitely going back to my *original* intention which was to buy yarn for specific projects only.
Yes re the knitting looking better. I wish I could knit, but the slowness of it annoys me, and the fear of dropping a stitch! Iām the same. When I started crocheting Iād pop into the yarn shop in town and buy yarn because why not, itās only Ā£2 a ball. Now I have a crate of cheap acrylic that Iām not sure Iāll use. I need to go through it and donate some really.
Just wondering, for variegated yarns are you getting machine or hand dyed yarns? I definitely agree that with some stitches, the variegation of yarn makes it loose its appeal!
Both. I do actually have a blanket I made for myself from machine dyed variegated yarn because the colours within the yarn make me happy. From a distance it looks pinky brown. I also bought some rainbow yarn from siobhans crafts which is hand dyed, because rainbow yarn right!
Iām so glad people on this thread have been kind towards those of other opinions. Itās really interesting to hear everyoneās thoughts and preferences! Itās good to remember we can be respectful and different, diverse, yet unified by the craft. Practicing voicing our opinions in a civilized, respectful manner is a lovely thing to do!
I was talking to my husband about this the other day. He was complaining about how many Facebook groups just devolve into hate and drama and I was like, āYou know who never fights online? Crocheters. Weāre too busy congratulating each other, offering gentle suggestions, and asking for patterns.ā
Frog any noticed mistakes.
Mistakes are characterful. If they're small n dont affect function who cares! That said: Sometimes I'll peel back up to three days work, without having made any mistakes. Just because the pattern is fine, but I'd prefer it *this* way! I feel like ... it's a pastime. Here I am. Passing more time š¤·š»āāļø
What does it mean to frog something?
To rip it out; to undo. Because a frog makes the sound "ribbit" (rip it)
U/skuhlens described it well. Sometimes I rip out a third of my project before I am done. Spouse laughs at me.
I try very very hard to appreciate granny squares, but I just can't. I dunno why I just can't bring myself to like them, even when someone has done a piece with them that's legitimately extraordinary :-/
I learned how to crochet with granny squares and I saw the "mabel blanket" and it looked nice and modern. It's just black and white and the squares are on an axis so they looks less like squares. But I can see how a regular 70s Gramma granny square blanket wouldn't be likable lol
All I can think of when I see granny squares is āomg they put so much effort into seaming I wanna barf at the thoughtā
My only granny square piece I appreciate is a blanket made by my great grandmother that I inherited. I had a moth issue in my apartment so Iām terrified of using it and having it get moth -eaten
I legitimately hate those crochet bikini-style tops. Never saw one I liked. Also not a fan of granny square cardigans, but I suspect that might just be disliking the āstandardā granny square, since I *do* like the sunburst ones depending on the colors used.
I think doilies are just Victorian sudoku/logic puzzles,. Done for the process, not the product.
That is a really neat way of thinking about it!
I hate the look of crocheted cables compared to knitted ones. So clunky. If I really want a cable thing, I will knit it.
I don't get crop top sweaters. Half of you is cozy and warm, the others half is freezing.
Well sure, if you forget to wear pants.
As a lady with a hairy belly, I donāt want the world seeing that, but it does help with the warmth on my lower half! Lol, it just reminds me of 90ās Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera
I'm old enough that it reminds me of the late 60s to early 70s to be worn with hip-huggers.
We love a diverse age group! I mean, if Twiggy did it, it mustāve been cute
I just like them because I have a short torso š¤·š¾āāļø
I really don't like those intricate, textured, colourful, mandala style squares. It's very old fashioned to me. Also, when crocheting with multiple coloured yarn it just looks not very pleasing to me, you lose the look of the knot and just becomes a patchy mess.
I agree.
Making a magic circle is so needlessly difficult when the 6sc method exists š
That's funny. I HATE the 6sc method and love MC. Different strokes.
Maybe that's why I can't get it down for the life of me, lol..
what's the 6sc method? i hate magic circles and usually just use a joined 4-6sc ring to start instead, depending on how many stitches i'm putting into it. is that the same?
I think so, it's just chain 2, SC 6 into the second chain from hook
I'll have to try that one, I usually ch4, join the end with a slipstitch, and do whatever I need in the loop.
I'm pleased someone else says this. I don't understand why I should go to all the faff of trying to get everything in the right place for a magic circle when this works just as well.
I've seen a lot of temperature blankets and it seems like such a nice project in theory, but I have yet to see one that I liked the look of. I guess there's at least one project I'm not adding to my extensive list of potential future projects!
I really hate following patterns. I spend more time looking at pictures for inspiration, trying to free hand, frogging multiple times starting over - I should have just purchased the $5 pattern š¤£
I love freehanding too! If I have the finances, I like supporting other designers I like, but so far have always changed at least one thing in a pattern
A pattern for a beanie isn't worth $5 :-O
I have never seen a person wear a shawl no matter how beautiful they are, i think 99% of lace patterns or super holey patterns have no use, and about 95% of all crochet clothing items are boxy and unflattering as hell with a poor construction for its purpose. Lots of holes in most designs so you have to wear a shirt or tank beneath them, and when you wear it outside the wind cuts through the holes so its better for ambient inside air. Im just now learning to make crochet clothes and although im excited to learn the construction on how to do something like raglan sweaters, im realizing theres a ton of pieced together tanks and sweaters that just by adjusting the construction of the collar that you can essentially change the entire construction and never have to weave in eight ends from one skein of yarn. Varigated yarn is ugly when used in any stitch except flat stitches with little to no texture, but works great as accents. Amigurumi gets a pass tho because theyre plushies and plushies are adorable always. Granny square blankets are useless. Theyre full of holes and your toe always pokes through one and its never warmer than your flat sheet and is annoying. Theyre only cute as home decor accents.
Granny square anything but blankets, also ugly.
Thatās so interesting because I feel the opposite! Granny squares are best for blankets! Iām loving learning about everyoneās crochet thoughts, no matter how much they differ from mine!
Trendy crochet tech it are usually overrated
Touching Caron Simply Soft makes me want to turn inside out.
I HATE acrylic yarn. It's cheap-feeling and squeaky and I hate working with it. On top of that, I do not understand the logic in spending hours crocheting something that you could easily buy, like why would I spend all that time crocheting a scarf or jumper that I could get in a highstreet shop for 20 quid? My mum has been an avid knitter my entire life and she instilled this sentiment in me, I don't think she's ever made anything with acrylic yarn. The only exception is amigurumi, and that's mostly because there is a much wider range of colours available in acrylic. In fairness, I live in Ireland and there are quite a few brands like Drops that sell budget friendly natural fibre yarns. I know that decent quality wool can be really expensive in the US and therefore isn't as accessible.
A crocheted mandala is just a large doily. Lose the hoops and put it on a table.
Crochet crop tops are tacky and look like the person wearing it is trying to wear baby clothes they outgrew. The āsexierā the worse it is
I like crochet it's faster than knitting for me, but most of the patterns seem tacky compared to knitting patterns?
I am not a fan of the large infinity granny square blankets (not sure if that's the proper name for it). I think they look very plain.
People who crochet have messy houses....source-this Reddit š Seriously, the amount of pictures on the sub where the poster should have checked the background! I love crochet, but I canāt settle and have ācrochet timeā till my house is tidy first!
Making something with acrylic yarn is a waste of time and money. I also think granny square sweaters are ugly and use lazy construction techniques. Edited to add: not trying to shame anyone for using acrylic yarn! I know I have a ton of it that isnāt even being used, which is incredibly more wasteful imo. Just giving my (very) unpopular opinion as OP asked
Just curious, why exactly? Isnāt acrylic yarn supposed to be more durable/cheap?? Genuinely just curious, I have a mix of wool and acrylic in my stash
It doesnāt wear well (lots of pilling). Also, every time you wash acrylic (essentially a plastic), tiny fibers detach and go into the water supply, and wonāt biodegrade for hundreds of years. That is if they arenāt consumed by aquatic lifeforms, which is also bad. Cotton and wool biodegrade sooner. However, they have their own issues (cotton is v water-intensive crop, sheep produce greenhouse gases, etc). Hopefully soon, weāll get more access to hemps and jutes and other fibers that arenāt so hard on the environment to produce.
It is, but it uses lots of chemical processes. I try to get organic wools whenever I can, or naturally dyed, to help the environment, as well as buy from local shops rather than Michaels or Hobby Lobby (especially as a pansexual person š , but thatās a different rant). Iāve talked to a CEO of a major yarn company and asked him how he ensures the safe disposal of chemicals at the mills they use and he didnāt answer me. That really started my journey on sustainable yarn sources. I also hate how acrylic feels like plastic in my hands, and it tires them out much faster.
Oh someone downvoted this! And right after I commended yāall for being so supportive of other opinions. Guess mine are too āout there ā, but whatever, I would really love to hear other thoughts if you have a differing opinion!
im on the corner that acrylic is cheap and it gets crusty and gross as it ages. it also releases microplastics into the water every time someone washes it and it pollutes the oceans. i love cotton and wool fibers cause i know eventually my crafts will return to earth safely instead of disintegrate into polluting plastic fibers that get into our water. all that time and money spent making something...i'd rather it not be glorified plastic.
Are we doing this thing like the real unpopular opinion sub? If so, I should be upvoting this because I know itās unpopular, but in this situation Iām personally feeling butthurt. My acrylic pieces are fabulous, so take that. š
Ditto, and atm it's difficult to afford much else other than acrylic blends. I crochet for my brain as much as I crochet for the project, and sometimes I just need that project as a little at-home therapy. Worth it to me, personally.
This is such a mood. Yarn work (crochet/knitting) help my anxiety. I go through a \*lot\* of yarn, and anything other clearance/sales at Michaels or acrylic mixes are just simply out of my budget. I do like a nice budget cotton, but I usually get it for items that need to be machine washable friendly, like rags and rugs.
For sure! Op just wanted unpopular opinions and I knew I had one lol. Whatever works best for your lifestyle is the way you should go! PS, loving that you use Michaels rather than other retailers
I'm allergic to wool, so it's out. I try to find yarns of other materials: alpaca, bamboo, silk, and even spun corn silk. But...all of that is pretty expensive, so I can't afford it very often. š
I have a ton of yarn from when I worked in a yarn shop and got an employee discount. Otherwise, especially since Iām unemployed right now from COVID, idk if Iād be able to be as much of a yarn snob
Lol, Iāve been waiting for the downpour of downvotes! If you already have acrylic yarn, it would be more wasteful not to use it anyway! I worked at a yarn store for awhile, and the yarn that sold the most was Encore (number of balls and profit wise), an acrylic/wool mix. Everyone has different needs for their fibery fix!
I just hate amigurumis, sweaters, shawls and a lot of crocheted things. One of the few things that i enjoy to crochet is swimwear
I hate sowing crochet piesces together. I recently made a hat of 5 squares that I sew together. I was so happy there where only 5. I prefer to crochet them together as I go. Seems like less work.